Tuesday, 1 December 2015

As we move towards the end of the
year, we are reviewing the SaMnet workshops conducted this year. Here is your
chance to have your say on future workshops! Suggestions for future workshops
have included stronger engagement with STEM education literature, understanding
the leadership environment within your university and leading change in your
university beyond your unit.

What other elements do you think are vital for SaMnet scholars to experience in
future workshops? Let us know at samnetaustralia@gmail.com

The
Australian Government has announced the establishment of a
new National Institute for Learning and Teaching to begin on 1 July 2016. This
will replace the current Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT). This follows a
report on the strengths and weaknesses of the current programme, completed
after extensive consultation with the higher education sector. The report is
available here: https://docs.education.gov.au/node/38401

Science faculties are invited to
nominate 2 or 3 leaders responsible for the development and/or delivery of WIL
programs in science or mathematics, as delegates to the Forum and members of
the new network.

RSVPs are to be sent to kally.kneale@deakin.edu.au with delegate details (name, email, dietary
requirements). No registration fee, but numbers are limited.

Along with the launch of the new WIL
in Science Network, the Forum will also introduce the WIL in Science Lighthouse
Projects, “action-learning projects designed to establish visible WIL
organisation and leadership in science-based faculties.” Expressions of
interest for projects are now open.

The special issue invites papers from
education, neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology and computer science
researchers on the topic of “Brain, mind and education: Understanding learning
in digital environments.”

This forum will see the launch of the
Bioscience Education Australia Network (BEAN), the new umbrella network
combining CUBEnet and VIBEnet; as well as hosting the Mathbench Symposium,
which will launch and demonstrate the Mathbench-Australia website.

As we approach the end of the calendar
year, SaMnet is interested in what you have achieved this year and what you
have planned for next year.

Do you have an initiative, project or
interest to chare with the community that you would like feedback on? Do you
have any publications that you wish to disseminate to the wider SaMnet
community? Please contact us at samnetaustralia@gmail.com

"Current
methods of evaluating teaching at colleges and universities fail to encourage,
guide, or document teaching that leads to improved student learning outcomes."Carl
proposes the Teaching Practices Inventory, an evaluation approach which monitors
the extent to which academics employ teaching practices that are known to work.
Would this be an effective mechanism of promoting change in teaching practices amongst
academics within your institution?

Mark
outlines three key elements that he considers to necessary for good teaching:
building a sense of community within the classroom, holding students
accountable for their learning and relevance to student perspectives. Are these
elements embedded within your teaching practices? What other elements do you
think are essential to teaching?

Philip Shapira, reviewing Designing the New American
University by Michael M. Crow and William B. Dabars

Aligning your
initiatives with the goals of those higher up within your institution is one
means of driving change in the institution. The article highlights some of the
pressures and trends in the American system that allowed for a new cultural
environment within Arizona State University. Are these trends evident in the
Australian system? How could you combine those with external cultural shifts
outside the classroom to effect change in your instutition?

SaMnet aims to foster 'distributed
leadership'. That is part of a strategy touted in this report on how to
change complex social systems - like your department, faculty, university, or
discipline. This report provides a nice, reasonably succinct, conceptual
overview of how different disciplines and professions have defined systems and
how they can change. It also outlines principles about pursuing 'system
change'.

The SMART Directory indexes useful
websites relevant to teaching and learning in science and mathematics, with
annotated resources and a rating system indicating the usefulness of the
resources. The Directory is ready for testing, and the developers welcome
feedback and comments on the site, which is available in beta here.

The
Department of Mathematics at The University of Auckland is advertising for
a Professional Teaching Fellow in Mathematics. This is a teaching-focussed
role; the position is intended for candidates with a PhD in Mathematics, or a
closely related discipline, who demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in
the teaching of Mathematics at the undergraduate level.Applications
close Sunday 13 December 2015.

The School of
Mathematics and Physics is advertising for a Learning Designer. The successful
appointee will work on a University of Queensland Technology-Enhanced Learning
project to develop dynamic, interactive simulations to enhance student
learning. Candidates should possess qualifications in a relevant discipline
such as mathematics, physics, engineering or similar and be comfortable with
web-based technologies and programming. Applications should be sent to A/Prof Tim
McIntyre either via mail or emailed to t.mcintyre@uq.edu.au. Applications close
Monday 14 December 2015.

The School of Mathematical Sciences is
advertising for a Research Fellow in Mathematical Sciences. The successful
applicant will conduct independent and joint research in areas related to
financial mathematics; they will also be expected to teach financial
mathematics at a Master’s degree level. The position is intended for candidates
with a PhD in a relevant discipline, strong knowledge in the area of financial
mathematics and the ability to teach it at a Master’s degree level.
Applications close Sunday 10 January 2016.

Delft University
of Technology (TU Delft) is aiming to substantially increase the number of top
female faculty members by offering high-profile, tenure-track positions to top
female scientists in research fields in which TU Delft is active. You will be
offered the unique chance to establish your own research programme of
international repute. More details on the Fellowship and how to apply are
available here.
Applications close 8 January 2016.

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Interested
in hosting a SaMnet leadership and/or SoTL workshop in your capital city in
2016? SaMnet HQ are happy to assist.

Suggest a timeframe
and area of focus. Indicate what role you would undertake - hosting,
co-facilitating, facilitating segments, etc. Guess what level of
attendance - 3 colleagues, 15 from your faculty, 35 from across the university?

We can
provide soft copies of handouts, lesson plan/run sheet for a typical workshop,
coaching on organising, advertising, running.

This forum will
see the launch of the Bioscience Education Australia Network (BEAN), the new
umbrella network combining CUBEnet and VIBEnet; as well as hosting the
Mathbench Symposium, which will launch and demonstrate the Mathbench-Australia
website.

This is an all
day workshop; more information will be made available closer to the event.

4. SaMnet activity

As we approach
the end of the calendar year, SaMnet is interested in what you have achieved
this year and what you have planned for next year.

Do you have an
initiative, project or interest to chare with the community that you would like
feedback on? Do you have any publications that you wish to disseminate to the
wider SaMnet community? Please contact us at samnetaustralia@gmail.com

5. Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning (SoTL)

Innovation
and entrepreneurship are the themes for this month’s section:

The
drive to instil innovation skills in students comes with a question – can students
actually learn how to innovate? The author suggests that while innovation cannot
be directly taught, there are other mechanisms by which we can help students
embrace innovation. What steps do you think are necessary to embrace a cultural
change towards innovation and entrepreneurship in your institution?

Entrepreneurship
and work-integrated learning are being prioritised around the world in order to
address the needs of students in changing socio-economic times. Does this
reflect the Australian environment, and how should Australian universities respond
to this changing landscape?

Note that the
ACDS is holding a forum on Work-Integrated Learning in Science on 11 December –
more information above!

Jillian Kinzie, Pat Hutchings, and
Natasha A. Jankowski, in the book, Using Evidence of Student
Learning to Improve Higher Education

Evidence of
student learning can be a powerful tool for driving institutional and national
change. The authors outlines the principles that focus assessment towards good
practice and change. How can you implement these principles in your assessment schedules?
How can you drive effective change in your institution through assessments that
contribute to overall student learning?

Retiring
professors often take with them a wealth of institutional knowledge and experience
in their disciplines. ‘Post-retirement postdocs’ are an emerging phenomenon
that seek to keep these institutional leaders contributing to the wider research
body. How would you seek to retain this vast realm of knowledge within your
research discipline? What contributions do you think are best suited to these
leaders, whether it be mentoring, research, or other contributions?

The 2015 RiAus
Postgraduate Survival Guide comes at a time when the national conversation is
focused on the way in which we can train up the next generation of STEM-skilled
graduates to take on the transition to the digital economy and contribute to
Australia’s growing knowledge economy and industry.

The SMART
Directory indexes useful websites relevant to teaching and learning in science
and mathematics, with annotated resources and a rating system indicating the
usefulness of the resources. The Directory is ready for testing, and the
developers welcome feedback and comments on the site, which is available in beta
here.

For mathematics
educators with an interest in undergraduate mathematics education for secondary
school teachers, mathematicians, academics in other discipline areas and
teachers in maths support classes, state groups have been formed to consider
state based issues, facilitate more frequent contact and encourage new members
to participate in the FYiMaths network.

The Department of Mathematics at The University of Auckland
is advertising for a Professional Teaching Fellow in Mathematics. This is
a teaching-focussed role; the position is intended for candidates with a PhD in
Mathematics, or a closely related discipline, who demonstrate a strong
commitment to excellence in the teaching of Mathematics at the undergraduate
level..Applications
close Sunday 13 December 2015.

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Have you published any education-focused publications this year? SaMnet
would love to promote your work to the wider SaMnet community. If you have
published any papers in 2015 focused on your teaching and learning practices,
please let us know so that we can disseminate it amongst the SaMnet community!

A number of OLT Citations were given
for student learning in science, including Mary Boyce (Edith Cowan) and Chris
Thompson (Monash). If you know of others who have been recognised by the OLT
for their contributions to student learning, please let us know.

Any questions
about the survey, the National Teaching Fellowship or professional recognition
can be addressed to Beth at elizabeth.beckmann@anu.edu.au

Support for this
activity has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and
Teaching. The views expressed in this activity do not necessarily reflect the
views of the Australian Government Office for Learn ing and Teaching.

This forum will see the launch of the
Bioscience Education Australia Network (BEAN), the new umbrella network
combining CUBEnet and VIBEnet; as well as hosting the Mathbench Symposium,
which will launch and demonstrate the Mathbench-Australia website.

Keep this date free, more information
about registrations will be made available closer to the event.

4. SaMnet activity

ACSME 2015 was a resounding success! This was the first time the conference was
held in Perth, so thank you to the 2015 Organising and Program Committees for
all their hard work in putting on an excellent conference.

Next year ACSME moves over to
Brisbane, focused on “The 21st Century Science Graduate: What is the
place of our STEM graduates in the world? How do we prepare them?” ACSME 2016
will be supported by the Australian Council of Deans of Science Teaching and
Learning Centre.

The conference dates are Wednesday 28
September to Friday 30 September (just prior to the ComBio 2016 conference), so
remember to keep those dates free. More information about the conference will be
given closer to the dates, so watch this space!

Geoffrey Boulton and Colin Lucas for
the League of European Research Universities

The authors argue that universities
should not merely be defined by specific outputs demanded by governments and industry.
Instead, they should play a more fundamental role allowing them to adapt to changing
societal needs and values, contributing to society but not burdened by external
demands. How do you see the role of the university and its value and
contribution to society in today’s environment?

Are
your findings reproducible? The Reproducibility Project tested 100 social
psychology publications from 2008 and found that only 39% of these results were
reproducible. Do you think this would apply to your field of research? What
biases are involved when deciding to publish results?

The American Association of University
Professors is bringing together academics in a collaborative manner to
understand student evaluations of teaching. This national collaboration is
reflected locally with SaMnet and its discipline networks fostering
institutional leaders and best practices in science and mathematics teaching in
Australia. How have the national networks instituted by SaMnet facilitated your
approach to teaching, learning or professional institutional recognition?

Initiatives taken by an institution
must be inclusive of the people driving the change within the institution. The book
outlines that the human aspect of the organisation must be engaged with and
included to provide a cohesive strategy for change. Have you taken on the task
of structural change within your institution? How would you go about developing
the interpersonal networks needed to successfully enact change?

The 2015 RiAus Postgraduate Survival
Guide comes at a time when the national conversation is focused on the way in
which we can train up the next generation of STEM-skilled graduates to take on
the transition to the digital economy and contribute to Australia’s growing
knowledge economy and industry.

The SMART Directory indexes useful
websites relevant to teaching and learning in science and mathematics, with
annotated resources and a rating system indicating the usefulness of the
resources. The Directory is ready for testing, and the developers welcome
feedback and comments on the site, which is available in beta here.

The School of Mathematics and
Statistics is seeking to expand its expertise in Pure Mathematics. Successful
applicants will be required to lead research programs and have a strong
commitment to the teaching and supervision of research students at
undergraduate, MSc and PhD levels. Candidates with a background in Analysis are
strongly encouraged to apply, with applications closing Sunday 11 October 2015.

For mathematics educators with an
interest in undergraduate mathematics education for secondary school teachers,
mathematicians, academics in other discipline areas and teachers in maths
support classes, state groups have been formed to consider state based issues,
facilitate more frequent contact and encourage new members to participate in
the FYiMaths network.

Monday, 31 August 2015

Following up on last month’s question, we are
inviting SaMnet Scholars who have not yet completed the survey by Dr Beth
Beckmann (ANU) on the professional recognition of university teachers to
complete the survey.

We would be grateful for your participation, which
explores the kinds of outcomes individuals gained from SaMnet participation and
the level of recognition you achieved within your institution.

Any
questions about the survey, the National Teaching Fellowship or professional
recognition can be addressed to Beth at elizabeth.beckmann@anu.edu.au

Support
for this activity has been provided by the Australian Government Office for
Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this activity do not necessarily
reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and
Teaching.

This forum will
see the launch of the Bioscience Education Australia Network, the new umbrella
network combining CUBEnet and VIBEnet; as well as hosting the Mathbench
Symposium, which will launch and demonstrate the Mathbench-Australia website.

The next ASELL
Science Workshop will take place in November at Monash University. While EOIs
are closed for the submission of laboratory experiments to be evaluated at the
workshop, registration for attendance
to the workshop is still open.

How
do you approach a ‘revise and resubmit’ request to your journal submission? A
systematic approach to the comments provided by editors and reviewers is
outlined here, which can help those initially overwhelmed by feedback from the
first submission.An important point to
draw from this approach is ensuring that your response to the editor’s letter
and comments should fully address their issues.

The
way in which tertiary education evolves and adapts to the future will depend on
a confluence of a number of different trends and the ways they interact with
each other. The author outlines 3 trends associated with the American context
which they believe will play an important role in the future of higher
education. Will these same trends affect the Australian approach to tertiary
education? How do you see tertiary education adapt and evolve into the future?

How do we define
the transition between a manager and a leader? Many different perspectives on
the transition from a manager to a leader appear throughout the article.
However, the presence of a strong emotional intelligence, understanding how
people interact and the strength of your communication are identified as vital
factors. What do you think distinguishes a great leader from a great manager?

What do we
actually mean by leadership in an academic sense? Are they merely influential
researchers and teachers, or are they required to take on managerial style
positions and manage academic workers and institutions? The author looks at the
merging of academia and management in the British context and concludes that
‘management has become the model for academic success.’ Do you feel that these
ideas are being conflated within Australian institutions? Is this necessarily a
negative outcome for research?

The SMART
Directory indexes useful websites relevant to teaching and learning in science
and mathematics, with annotated resources and a rating system indicating the
usefulness of the resources. The Directory is ready for testing, and the
developers welcome feedback and comments on the site, which is available in beta
here.

The School of
Mathematics and Statistics is seeking to expand its expertise in Pure
Mathematics. Successful applicants will be required to lead research programs
and have a strong commitment to the teaching and supervision of research
students at undergraduate, MSc and PhD levels. Candidates with a background in
Analysis are strongly encouraged to apply, with applications closing Sunday 11
October 2015.

For mathematics
educators with an interest in undergraduate mathematics education for secondary
school teachers, mathematicians, academics in other discipline areas and
teachers in maths support classes, state groups have been formed to consider
state based issues, facilitate more frequent contact and encourage new members
to participate in the FYiMaths network.

Support for this project/activity has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The views in this project do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.